Quick Hits 5/21/09

Sometimes those things called “responsibilities” get in the way of blogging and watching games. Stupid work and parenting…just kidding, so don’t call social services. But I still have opinions about things that have happened in the sports world.

Draft Lottery

I believe in Karma – the idea that good will come to those who do good and bad to those who do bad. But the Clippers getting the number one pick in the draft is not very Karma-like and it drives me nuts. Even the Timberwolves couldn’t the first pick, Blake Griffin, then I was hoping Oklahoma City would. Like LeBron to Cleavland, this would be another example of the hometown hero playing for the local NBA team – even if it is hasn’t been in Oklahoma as long as Griffin has been a Sooner.

Now that the lottery is over, Matthew and I are going to a break of the picks the teams will makes and the picks they should make.

The T’Wolves have a new GM and I hope he is able to make the right pick, which is the freshmen out of USC – JUST LIKE LAST YEAR. DeMar DeRozan is everything the T’Wolves don’t have: an athletic, tall, slasher that is atheltic enough to make plays until his basketball skills catch-up.

It will be an interesting draft, becuase don’t the Clippers to keep the pick. But I do expect them them to mess it up.

NBA Playoffs

EAST

I was impressed the Magic’s last three games. But I do not expect them to beat the Cavs. the LeBrons were just a little sleepy from the time off. I did say before the end of the Celtics/Magic series that I though the Magic would give the Cavs a better series than the Celtics – I also did not want to see anymore shots of KG on the bench.

The Cavs get so scared in late game situations. They get out of the way of the King and wait for him to create. That is tough when you have a good defensive team like Magic. When the ball sits in LeBrons hands too long, it doesn’t work. The ball has to move and make the defense shift to get shooters open. But the high pick and roll did not work last night and LeBron held the ball for 18 seconds and the defense knows what he is going straight to the rim and then kick out to the open shooters.

WEST

Chauncey Billups makes the Nuggets less hateable, so I guess I am routing for Denver in the West. I thought Carmelo Anthony was amazing the first game. He battled Kobe and it was a great match-up. The question is if Carmelo can keep that level of intesity.

Each series could get flipped on it’s ear with one game. But the NBA title will come down to Kobe vs. LeBron and battle of the benches.

Kevin McHale is expected to step down as head coach of the T’wolves. I think he is a better coach then GM, but it took seven losing seasons to get him out o f the front office. So, who knows what will happen.

Greg Paulus is heading to Syracuse and will be competing for the starting QB spot. Probably will get more playing time than he did at Duke this season.

What the hell happened to David Ortiz? I think we all know, but we just don’t want to talk about the big-ripped, muscular, steroid using elephant in the room.

The No. 1 player on some lists, signed with Kentucky. I think Kansas and Kentucky will be locks for the Final Four.